>-' '^sriv;*-*. yi* 



Revoli 



chtit: 



The Oeos 



On the 



By 




1 



/^i>f^ 






-'f^ 



AN ADDRESS 



ON THE 



Revolutionary History 



OF 



Cliatliaiii Coiiiit}^, N. C, 



DELIVERED AT 



TzaiE OEZNTTiHiisrnsri^^iij Oeii^eei^^?^tioit 



AT PITTvSBOROUGH, X. C, 



On the Fourth Day of July, 1876, 



By HEXEY ARMAXD LOXDOX 




COLE PRINTING CO., SANFORO, N. C. 



l^^ 



,C4 



2. 



PREFACE. 



By an Art of ("onj;ress and the President's Proclanialioii, 
tlie citizens of the United States were requested to assemble 
in their respective counties, on the -tth day of July, 187(>, 
and appropriivtel}' celebrate the Centennial anniversary of the 
Declaration of IndeiJendence, and it was recommended that an 
historical address be delivered in evei-y county on that occasion. 

In accordance therewith, such a celebration was held at 
Pittsboro, N, C, which was attended by a large concourse 
of the county's best citizens. Alter music by the Pittsboro' 
Brass Band, an ai)propriate prayer was offered by the Rev, 
William Snipes, and the Declaration of Independence was 
read by the Hon. John M. Moi'ino-. Then the Hon. John 
Manning introduced the undersigned, to whom had been ac- 
corded the honor of delivering the historieal address contained 
in tlie followi]ig pages. Its i^ublication M'as urged at that 
time by many persons^ and frequently since, but not until 
now, after the lapse of nearly twenty years, have I consented 
thereto. And it is published nov; only in order to preserve 
important tacts connected with Chatham's historv, which oth- 
erwise might be forgotten. 

To my fellow-count ymen this address is respectfully dedi- 
cated. 

April, 1.S94. ir. A. London. 



I 
\ 



^^ 



^ Ladies and Gentlemen: On this day, and at this very 
^^^ hour, the people of the United kStates, throughout their vast 
'^ domain, have assembleLl together, in their respective counties, 
for the i^urpose of celebrating the one hundredth anniA'ersary 
of their JSJ^ational Independence. It is very meet and projjer 
that our citizens, on this day, should lay aside the cares of 
business and the duties of daily life, and meet together to 
commemorate so grand an occasion. ^Vhen I look around 
' upon this sea of up-turned ttices, I feel more than ever before 
the responsibility devolved upon me by the Committee of 
Arrangements, and will trust rather to your kind indulgence 
and symjDathetic interest than to my own ability to enter- 
tain aid instruct you. This address will not give you any- 
thing ^ ike a history of our county, but will only hastily sketch 
the days and doings of one hundred years ago. Bear x^atiently 
with me, then, and hear the traditions of your forefathers. 

It has been a task of no ordinary labor to obtain the infor- 
mation necessary for this occasion, and day after day, like a 
dutiful son gathering up the fond relics of his mother, have I 
searched into the old records of our county, and gleaned from 
them whatever might contribute to your entertainment and 
instruction. This to me, however, has been a " labor of love,'' 
wbieh I gladly give to the county in which I was born and 
reared, and among whose citizens I hope to spend my allotted 
days on earth " with malice to none, and charity toward all." 
This county, together with her twin sisters, Wake and 
Guilford, was foraied by a division of Orange County in 
•January, 1771. The Act establishing the County, ratified 
January 2Bth, 1771, described its boundaries as follows: 

" Be it Enacted by the Govenor, Council and Assembly, That 
from and after the first Day of April next, the inhabitants 
of the County of Orange, lying to the South of a Point sixteen 
miles due South of Hillsborough, and bounded as follows, to- 
wit: Beginning at the aforesaid Point, running thence due 



M'cst to ( ! iiillnnl Coiiiity Line: lliciicc Soiitli aloiij;' (Jnillnid 
('(Huity L';iit' t(» ( 'luiilicrlaiKl Ciuiiitv Line: 1 liciicc iil(>n<i' Cimi- 
bt'rltiiul ami Wake Citimlx Lines to a I'oiiit due Ivist oi' the 
IJe^iniiiii^-; tlieiicc due Wfst to llic lK'<;innin^-, be tM'octcd into 
a distiiift Coiinly 1)\ tin- name of ( 'liatliani ("onnty. and St. 
BartholoiiKMv Parisli." 

Histoi'y inlornis iis thai llu' ininiediat'' cause of this 
division was tlic troubles of the '• l{(\iiidaturs," and it was 
thoujiht that this would i)rovent the i)e()])le from so often eou- 
grejiatinji' at one i)oint. The people of the northern part of 
this county were (|uite actixely enjiaged in those troubles, and 
no doubt many of the:n wei'e at the battle of Alamance, (»u 
tile Kith of yUiy. 1771. l)Ut it is impossible now to leaiai any- 
tliinj;' definitely as to the i)art our county acted in the days of 
the •' KL'^iulatoi's." The county was named in honoi- of that 
<»reat cham])ion of liberty and of the ii<;hts of .\meiica, the 
distin.uuished Ivu'l of ("hat ham. 

The (\)urt-house was lirst located about half a mile South- 
west of the present l)uildin<i,'. on the farm now belonging to 
Mrs. Nat. Hill, and the exact spot is sti'l pointed out whereon 
it stood. This site was selected because of its central posi- 
tion, and the proximity of a most excellent sprinji' of water, 
which to this day continues to pour forth its coolino- stream. 
The Jail was built a little south of the Court-house, and the 
site is still shown, and is about 75 yards northwest of the 
dwelling'. 

At Xovember Court. 1774, it is •• Oi-deied that John Dillard 
be allowed the sum of ninety-one i)ounds proc. money for serv- 
ices done in l)uiidin<i- :i Gaol and repairin.u' the ('oui-t-house.' ' 

At i\Liy Court, 177."), it was •• ()r<lei-ed that the bounds of 
the Prison of this County laid off by Mial .Scurlock and Rich- 
ard Kennon be record-vl as toUows: Beginning at a saiall 
black oak Just aboNc the spring'. rriUnin^- south (>i)h degrees 
east by a line of marked trees to a post in the yard; then 
north S degrees east L'4 poles to a hickory stump below the 
stoi-e; then south 7S degices west ."JO i»oles to two small sassi- 
fras on the Spring Ihaiu-h: then up the said bi-anch to be- 
giiniing, including the dwelling house and store, containing 
aboni three acres and a (juarter." 



5 

Tlie little V)lack oak is now staiulinji- a iniohty tree, but the 
'^' line of marked trees'' has long; sinee disapiyeared. 

Tlie Conrt i-eeords show that the Sheriff repeatedly protested 
against the Jail as being- insecure, until at Xoveniber Court. 
1779, it is '^Ordered that ilial Heurloek. John Birdscng, and 
Zxcli Harnim be appointed Commissioners to let the build- 
ing of a public Gaol, the dimensions to be twelve feet by four- 
teen iii the clear, with a double logged wall up to the joist 
and above four feet to be filled with stones, with a cabin rough/' 

At Fel)ruary Court, 1780, John Dillard i.s alh)wed fourteen 
hundred and forty pounds for building the Jail. 

Tlie only building now remaining of all then standing is 
the dwelling hou.se, which is well preserved, l;eirg weather- 
boarded with short boards riven out of oak logs and fastened 
Avith wrought nails. There was no town where the old Court- 
house was located, and the place was called " Chatham 
Court-House." After the close of the war, and the cessation 
of hostilities, the public necessities demanded a town at the 
county-seat, and accordingly an act of the General Assembly, 
ratified Dec. 29th, 1785, appointed nine citizens of the county 
Trustees to lay off one hundred acres on the farm of Mial 
Scurlock, deceased, as a town, to be named Pittsl)orough. The 
preamble of this act gives the reasons for estal)lishing the 
town as follows: 

'' AVhereas, It has been represented to this General Assem- 
bly that the lands l)elonging to the estate of jMial Scurlock. 
deceased, whereon the Court-house and other l)uildings in the 
county of Chatham now stand, is an exceedingly healthy, 
pleasant situation, well watered and commodious for com- 
merce, being situate in a very rich and fertile part 
of tlie country, and sunilry ]n8rc;hin!,s and persons of distinc- 
tion in the lower parts of the State are desirous that a town 
sliould be erected thereon, with a design of becoming pur- 
chasers of lots, and erect buildings foi- the reception of their 
families in the summer months; it Mill also greatly tend to the 
ease and convenience of the inhabitants of th.at county in par- 
ticular, and the western parts of this State in generah &c.'' 

But the town was not laid off on the lands of Mial Scurlock, 
because his executors did not feel authorized to dispose of the 
same, and, therefore, the Trustees bought one hundred acres 



IVoiii William Petty, \y\uix on the north sido of Robinson's 
Creek (so ealled from an old man ivsidin*;- on its head watei-s), 
and there laid ont and established the town ol" rittsl)oro. The 
General Assembly at its next session i>assed an act ratifyin;^- 
the at'tion of the Trustees in locating the toWn on Petty's 
land, and appointiug George Lucas, Joseph Stewart, Roger 
Grittith, IMatthew Jones, Zachar^ah Harman, Patrick St. Law- 
renee, Nathan Stedman, James Massey and William Kiddle 
as the first Conimissioaers of the new -town. 

As the county had been named in honor of the Earl of 
Chatham, so the Couuly-seat was named in honor of his illus- 
trious son, at that time Premier of England. A large number 
of deeds are found recorded, exe;'uted by Matthev,- Jones, in 
178G, to different persons for various lots in the new towu. 
It is a source of regret that uoue of the records of our Court 
can be found to furnish any information as to the building 
of the new Court-house, Jail, etc., but they wei-e soon erected, 
and the old site abandoned. 

The old Court-house was removed to tlie new town, and still 
stands as the store of Headen, Bynuni & C'o. In 1843 the 
wooden Jail was burnt, and the present brick one built, at a 
cost of $3,500. And at the same time the old Court-house 
was torn down and the present brick one erected, at a cost of 
$8,000. And just here a brief sketch of our town may not be 
inai>proi)riate. 

The first dwelling erected here was the one-story tmilding 
now standing just east of the Methodist church. The next is 
the house now occupied by Mr. A. G. Headen, and known 
as the '• Yellow House." This was erected by Patrick St. Law- 
rence ( whose name is perpetuated by a P. O. where he once 
lived), and was built in such a substantial and costly manner 
as to have bankrupted the owner and tiie contractor who 
built it. The Methodist church was built in 1827. The 
Ei)is!'opal church was erected in 1833, and was called "St. 
Bartholomew's," because the county, in the act establishing 
it, was constituted St. Bartholomew's Parish, as heretofore 
stated. The Baptist church Mas erected in 1847, and the 
Presbyterian church was elected in 1851. The present male 
Academy is the same'one in which Rev. Wm. Bingham taught 
seventv-five vears ago. and in which were ediu-ated two boys 



who afterwards became Governors of North Carolina, viz: 
John Owen and Charles Manly. Three newspapers have 
struggled through a brief existence in our town — the Central 
Beflector, published by Hugh McQueen in 1830 5 the Commu- 
nicat<jr, published by Wm. Potter (son of Judge Potter) in 1846, 
and the Christian Sun, published by Eev. D. W. Kerr in 1850. 
Two small papers were published here in 1866 and 1867 — one 
called the Semi-Montlily Record, published by the students of 
the Pittsboro Scientific Academy, and the other by the young- 
ladies of the Locust Hill Seminary, aiid called the School 
Girl 

Our town has always been appreciated for its pleasant so- 
ciety, and the hospitality and intelligence of its citizens, and 
though our prosperity is shattered, our homes dilapidated, 
and our business depressed, there is life in the old place yet, 
and we hoije to regain its wonted prosperity. 

In looking over the Minute Docket of the Court for the 
years 1774-5-6-7-8 and 9 are found many interesting entries. 
Among the first is an order at August Term, 1774, 'Hhat 
Daniel Murphy be allowed for live wolf scalps,'' and ^^that 
Wm. Murphy be allowed for one v/ildcat scalp," which is the 
list instance of a wolf or wildcat being found in Chatham 
County. This order refers to the old custom of paying for 
the destruction of wild animals. At August Term, 1779, an 
entry reads as follows: '' Drewrj' Banks came into Court and 
motioned to have the following entry made, he having had a 
fight lately with one James Roe, had the misfortune in the 
engagement to have his right ear bit off by the said Roe; 
therefore, ordered that the same be admitted to the record of 
this Court." There are many entries similar to this, for the 
crime of perjury being punished by cutting off the ear, those 
who had their ears bit off desired it to so appear on the Court 
records. 

In November, 1774, is an order allowing Mial Scurlock to 
build a mill on Robinson's Creek, some of the remains of 
which can still be seen at the old site in the field of Hon. 
Abram Rencher, about half a mile southwest of our Court- 
house. Another mill on Robinson's Creek was built in 1786 
by George Lucas, about half a mile above the mill now owned 
by "Wesley Pendergrass. Inns or Taverns were called "Ordi- 



8 



nanes," and licenses to kecj) them Avcre p-anted I»v tfic ('t»nnty 
Courts, and the in'oprictors re((nir('d to uivc bond witli ^ood 
security, and the ( \»nrts estahlishi'd tin- prices to lie cliarj;ed, 
which re.id rather ([ualntly now. For instance, at Au<i;ust 
Terr.i, 1774, it is " orcU'red that the rates of the several Oi'di- 
nary keepers in this County be as folh)ws, to-wit: 



West India Kuni. pt. C Is 
New Enj;-land do. " 
Good Peach Hr.mdy.. i)t., 
Ai)ple lirandy, 
Whiskey^ '^ 

Trab Cyder, qt. 
All other kinds of 

(^yder, 
Bristol Beer, liottle, 2 
Madeira Wiue, f::allon, 



Hi 



Tencrief Wine. _n,ilion II 
Oats or Corn, (jt.. 2 

Stablaii'e with fodder 

l)er nijiht, 1 

Hot dinnei' with beer 

or Cyder, 1 4 

Cold dinner, 8 

Breakfast, 1 

Lod^in^'in a jiood featlier 

bed. a ni^ht, 4 



A\'e ni:ii,lit follow the example of our aucestors with much 
comfoi-t to the travelers noAvadays, aud have the rates of our 
hotels regulated by la^', for in our day liotels seem to be kept 
merely for the profit of the proprietor, without any regard t(v 
the comfort or pocket of the jjublic. The above rates were 
established before the war began, but when the currency be- 
came someMhat depreciated, new rates were ordered at Febru- 
arv Term, 177S, as follows: 



For a Breakfast, £ — 8s 
For a dinner Avith 

grog, 5— 

Lodging a night, 1 — 

Oats and corn per gal., 2 — 
Fodder a bundle, (kl 



Brandy per gallon, £2 
West India rum 

per g.illon. 2 - — 

Whiskey per gallon. 1 12 - 

Crab (Vder, •■ 5 4 

Othei- Cvder " 4 



This shows that the " heroes of '7<>"' had a care for the 
'' creature comforts,'' and amply pro\ided for the '' inner 
man.'' The currency of the <'ountry becanu' so depreciated 
(hat tinally one dollar in specie was equivalent to 800 in pa- 
per dollars, for the Court records show that in 17.S2 and '88 
judgments were rendered in the alternative at that rate. 

.Vt Xo\ . Term, 1781, is an entry ''that James AVilliams, 
Esq., be allowed the sun' e tw< thousand four hundred dol- 



9 

lars for a blank-book for the. use of tlie Court." Even our 
Confederate money was not so worthless as this. It may be 
of interest to give the amount of taxes collected in this county 
in those early days, and make a comparison with the present. 
At Feb. Term, 1775, is found an entry stating " that the Court 
l^roceeded to settle with Elisha Cain, Esq., Sheriff for the years 
1771 and 1772," from which it appears that the taxes for 1771 
(the first year of the existence of the county) were £118-10-0, 
or about |800, and for 1772 £86-10_5, or about $450. The 
total amount of taxes collected in this county last year (1875) 
was $29,803.87, of which $17,330.15 were for County purposes, 
and $12,473.72 for the State. 

In the early records many orders are found to lay out the 
public roads of the county, but only a few of those roads are 
now used, others having been opened. It is to be noticed, how- 
ever, that those old roads were much more direct and more 
convenient to the j^ublic than the new roads, for the for- 
mer were laid out to save distance and travelling, while the 
latter appear to be laid out for the j)urpose of going by some 
person's mill or store, without consulting the public conveni- 
ence at all. And in mentioning roads, it is proper here to 
state that the present highways of Chatham County are a dis- 
grace to any people pretending to be civilized, and our pros- 
perity will ever be retarded until ^^ our ways are mended." 

There were several ferries established at an early day — one 
at * ' Eedfield, ' ' about one mile below the present By num Fac- 
tory, on Haw Eiver; one over the Cape Fear Eiver, called 
Avent's Ferry, which is still used, and bears the same name. 
At Nov. Court, 1781, it is "ordered that John Avent be al- 
lowed the following rates for ferriage across the Cape Fear 
River, viz: 

'^ For wagon and team loaded, 400 dollars. For cart and 
horses loaded, 200 dollars. For man and horse, 50 dollars." 
This was when specie was worth 800 for 1. There were vari- 
ous other ferries and fords in the county over the different 
streams, among them ^Yilliams' and Crow's, on Haw Eiver, 
and Eigden's, on Deep Eiver. 

The first bridge ever built in the county was across New 
Hope, and was called Sypart's (or Cypert's) Bridge, and was 
located where is now Prince's Bridge, on the road to Ealeigh, 



10 

about nine miles east of Pittsboro. It was near tliis place 
that the Tniversity of tlie Stale was lirst localeil, ainl then 
changed to ('hai)el Hill. The date of l)uildiiig this lii-idge 
cannot be ascertained, but at Aug. Coui-t, 1777, it is " ordeied 
that Elisha Cain and Francis Syi)art be appointed Coinniis- 
sioners for letting to tie lowest bidder th.e repairing of New 
Hope Ihi<lge, near tlie s;;id Fi-ancis Syi-art's." The future 
historian may desire to know our i)resent nund;er of bridges, 
and tlieir locations, and they are nuntioned, therefore, for 
futui"e information: On Deep Eiver are thi-ee bridges, located 
as follows, viz: At Lockville, Egypt, and the (aulf; on Kocky 
Elver, cue at Wni. White's; on Haw River are six, as follows: 
at Love's Mill, Pace's Mill, Byraim's Factory, Henley's :Mill. 
Moore's Mill, ar.d at Haywood, and on New Hope four, viz: 
at Farrington's Mill, Prince's, Baldwin's Mill, and at John- 
son's store: a total of fourteen bridges, besides small (uesover 
creeks, etc. In .January, ISO."), a heavy freshet swept away 
every bridge on Haw Elver, which at the time was considered 
a gi'eat calamity, but which resulted in being a blessing, for 
In April following the plundering bands of bumnu'is from the 
Federal army were prevented from crossing the river, and 
much ])roperty thus saved. 

And now let us proceed to consider the political history of 
our county dniing the Eevolutlonary War, and what part her 
citizens acted in these days that tried men's souls. In doing 
so, 1 will as much as possible avoid I'epeating those events re- 
corded iu history, and endeavor to bring new matter to light, 
as gathered from the Coui't records. The first and nu)st Im- 
portant fact to be mentioned is the time at which the year of 
the King's reign was omitted from the i-ecord of the proceed- 
ings in our Court. The recoid of the J'roceedings at each 
Term of the Court had the following heading, viz: '^Atan 
Inferior Court, &c., held at the Court-House, &e., on tlie sec- 
ond Monday, &c., in the year of his Msijesty's reign, 

&e." The year of his majesty's reign was always inserted 
until after August Term, 1775, and at JVov. Term, 1775, and 
ever (ifferirard.s it is omitted. Ee It ever remembei'ed, then, 
that the people of Chatham County in this manner renounced 
the sovereignty of George III, tlie year before the Declara- 
tion of Independence was signed! 



11 

The first record of an election of members of the General 
Assembly was made at Feb. Term, 1779, and is as follows: 
" Ordered that the Sheriff of the County advertise at the most 
public places in the County, that on the 10th of March next, 
the Inhabitants of the County are ordered to meet at the 
Court-House of said County to choose two Burges and one 
Senator to represent them in the next General Assembly of 
this State, and that he summon John Auld, Eich. Kennon 
and Jolm Montgomery, Esquires, to sui^eriutend said election." 

It will thus be seen that there was only one voting-place in 
the County. 'No^Y there are sixteen voting-places. History 
informs us that Ciiatham sent delegates to Hillsboro in Aug.^ 
1775, to the Congress at Halifax in Nov., 1770, and to the 
General Assembly in 1777 and 1778. At May Term, 1777, 
the record states that "Ambrose Ramsey qualified as Col. of 
this County, Jeduthan Harper as Lieut. Col, Mial Scurlock as 
First Major, and Mathew Jones as Second Major." 

The record of August Court, 1778, shows the following cap- 
tains of the militia, viz: Alexander Clark, Abner Hill, John 
Xall, William Goldston, Thomas Hill, Presley George, John 
Birdsoug, James Kendrick, Joseph Crump, Edward Edwards, 
James Herudon and Josiah Rogersf"" Ko record can be found 
to show any account of the troops from Chatham in the regu- 
lar Continental Army, and it was supposod there was no or- 
ganized company from the county. The bold depredations, 
of the Tories in this and the surrounding counties kept our 
militia quite actively employed at home. 

Frequent mention is made of certain persons being brought 
before the Court charged with disloyalty, and upon their re- 
fusing to take the oath of allegiance to the State were ordered 
to leave. So very zealous were our citizens to suppress every 
symptom of disloyalty and disaffection, that men were arrested 
for even speaking words inimical to the new government; for 
at Aug. Court, 1777, there is an entry that "Robert Sellers, 
Esq., one of the Justices of this Court, being brought into 
Court by virtue of a warrant, and being charged with hav- 
ing spoken words inimical to the United States of America, 
and in violation of an act of the General Assembly of this 
State, on the evidences being sworn in behalf of the State to 
support the charge against him, it was solemnly adjudged 



12 

by tlic roiirt tliat he \\;is not <;nilty of the said cluirji'e, and 
that \\v he discliar^cd accordiujily.'' The arrest of desertei'S 
Mlii('l\ was the cause of so nuieh troiihh- in tlie late civil war, 
was frequently done by the " Kebels of '7G." An entry made 
at Au^'. Term, 1777, reads as foHows: " James AN'alker, being- 
brou<;ht before this Court and examined ui)on sus])icion of 
having deserted out of the service of tlic (itli Kegt. of South 
Carolina forces, he is ordered to be committed to the public 
goal tor the district^ to be dealt with as the law directs." So 
it seems that the '' Rebels" of the late war had a precedent 
set them by the ^'Rebels" of the Revolution, and only fol- 
lowed their illustrious exami)le in arresting and imprisoning 
men who deserted from the service of their State. As we 
were called " Rebels" in the late war, so were the patriots of 
the Revolution stigmatized as '' Rebels," and their resistance 
to British oppression called a '' rebellion." Truly halli the 
poet said: 

"Rebellion! foul, dishonoring word. 

Whose wrongful blight so oft has stained 
The holiest cause that tongue or sword 

Of mortal ever lost or gained. 
How many a spirit, born to bless, 

Hath sunk beneath tlr.it withering name, 
Whom but a day's, an hour's success, 

Had wafted to eternal fame!" 

The Rebels of the Revolution were more ^■iolent and ex- 
treme than vvev we were,for they compelled every citizen to take 
a test oath, or le.ive the State. At May Term. 1778, certain 
Justices were ordered ''to administer the oaths by act of 
Assembly^ prescribed, to the jx'ople in general in their respec- 
tive districts, "and make a list of all those who neglect or 
refuse to take the same." 

In other words, a test oath was required to be taken by every 
person, and those citizens who refused to renounce allegiance 
to their King and take the oath to supi)()rt the new govern- 
ment were to be reported to the Court, so that they might be 
arrested, their ])i'opei'ty contiscated, and they and their fami 
lies reinov<'(l from the State. Surely the late "i-ebels"* did 
not attempt nioi'e high-handed measures. A ])iil w;!s intro- 



13 

(tliiced into tlie Convention in 1861 to reqnire a f^imilaf test 
•oath, and it was voted down by an overwhehnino- majoi'ity. 

The property of all those who adhered to the King was con- 
fiscated, and our records abound with repeated references to 
this subject. For instance, at May Term, 1780, it is or- 
dered "that John Ramsey, Mial Scurlock and John Nail be 
appointed Commissioners to take into their possession the con- 
fiscated estates of this county, agreeable to an act of Assem- 
bly, passed at Halifax, 18th day of October, 1779." 

Hearing tliese things should cause every person to have 
more tolerance and charity to the late "rebels" for proceeding 
as they did, and as after the close of the Eevolutionary War 
the Whigs and Tories settled down in peace and amity, and 
forgetting their differences united together in building up this 
great country, so let us emulate their glorious example of 
reconciliation, and laying aside the passions and prejudices 
<excited by the late war, let us unite together for the common 
good of a common country. In this Centennial Year of Jubi- 
lee, let us forget and forgive the w^rongs inflicted and the suf- 
ferings endured, and profiting by the sad experience of the 
past, press forward with the hope of a glorious future for us 
all. The soldiers who woi'^ the blue and those wlio wore the 
grey are now alike engaged in the more congenial pursuits 
of peace, "who hath lier victories mere wnoAvncd tlian war," 
4uul are together building up our waste places, so that peace 
and plenty may again bless our beloved country. 
" No more sliall the war-cry sever. 

Or tlie winding rivers be red: 
They banish our anger forever. 

When they lau]-el the graves of our de;ul) 
Under tlie sod and tlie dew, 

Waiting tlie judgment day, 
Love and teai'S for the Bine, 
Tear>* and love for the Grey." 
It is almost impossible to give even a brief sketch of the 
most distinguished citi7>en8 of Chatham living one hundred 
years ago, for with many of them their vei\v names arv for- 
gotten, and they have passed away as bubble.*^ on the current 
of time. But 

"We shall rerlve their names, and in fond memories 
Preserve and still keep fresh, like fiowers in water, 
Their glorious deeds." 



14 

Ei.isiiA Caix w;is the first Sheriff of the county, and after- 
wards one of tlie le:idin<;- Justices; was a delegate to Hillsboro' 
in Au<;-. 1775, and after the war a member of the Legislature; 
resided on the northern side of Haw IMver. Wm. Hooper 
was the first Clerk of our County Court. Richard Kennon 
was a prominent Justice of the Court for many years, whose 
name is repeatedly mentioned in our records. He lived, died 
and is buried near the present residence of Wm. White, on 
Rocky lliver, and tlioug:h hundreds of our citizens, continually 
pass by the former residence and grave of this man, who was 
80 iirominent in days of old, yet how few, if any, have ever 
heard his name ever mentioned! Sic transit mundi gloria ! 

Amerose RAMSF.Y vras Col. of the militia,a prominent Justice 
of the Court, the owner of the mills where Cornwallis cro.'S?d 
Deep River, and, after the war, for many years in tlie State 
Legislatui'e. John Ramsey wavS for many years a Justice of 
the Court, and afterwards Clerk. Mathew Ra^fsey was 
Captain of a company of light-hoi-se, was captured by Fan- 
ning at Chatham C. H., was can-ied prisoner to Wilmington, 
whence he escaped -and rejoined his comi)any. He owned and 
lived at what is now called Green's Mills, on Rocky River. 
He was a brother of Ambrosia and John, and the grandfather 
of the Ramseys lately living here. ]\riAL Scuklock owned 
the dwelling at the old C. H. and was Clerk of the Court from 
May, 1777, until his death, in May, 1781. Mathew Jones 
was one of the first Justices of the Court, was Major of the 
militia, and, after the war, in the Legislature. He lived, died 
and is bui'ied near the Asheboro road, about five miles west of 
Pittsboro, and when this town was laid out, bought numy lots 
in it. He is the Grandfather of Mrs. Johu E. Nettles. Maj. 
John Xaul, or Xall. and Joiix Luttrele are the only two 
officers who were killed in battle. They were both killed at 
Cane ci'eek in the attem])t to release Gov. Burke, whom Fan- 
ning had captured and was earning to Wilmington. They 
were l)oth Justices, Luttrell living near Haw river, and Xall 
near the present Hear Creek Baptist church. Major Xall was 
the great-grandfather of ]\ri'. Elbert I). Nail. Major Nail was 
a giillant and brave officer, and a good and useful citizen, 
whose untimely death was a public loss. Roger Gbiffith 
was for nrany years Sheriff of the county, a .Tustice of the Court, 



15 

and Major of the militia, and lived near the old road, about f 
of a mile southwest of Pittsboro'. 

But time and space would fail me to even briefly mention 
all the leading characters of that early day, for there were 
John Birdsong, John Montgomery, Baalam Thompson, Jedu- 
than Harper, William Kinclien, Joseph Brantleyj Joseph Hin- 
ton, James Sellers, Thomas Gregory and others, who were 
Justices of tlie Court, and men whose names should be re- 
vered by a grateful posterity, though they have long since 
passed away and finished their course. Let us emulate their 
virtues and shun their vices, and so "act our part in the 
world's broad field of battle, in the bivouac of life," that 
when another hundred years shall have rolled by the men of 
1976 may recall our names with grateful love and reverence, 
and we be held ii}) as exauiplars of virtue and patriotism. 

See to it, men of Chatham, that ye be not degenerate 
scions of noble sires, but be faithful to every trust, sincere in 
every opinion, and true in all things. Let not the little, petty, 
differences that divide you as individuals hinder you as the 
common citizens of a common country from uniting together 
in your efforts to build up that country. This Centennial 
year of our National Independence should mark a ' ' new de- 
parture" in our national growth and prosperity. It should 
be the beginning of a new and brighter era dawning on our 
whole country. It is the dividing line between the old and 
the new. It should be as some mighty breakwater dashing 
back the angry waves of hate and i^assion which have so long- 
been seething and surging in our distracted country. This 
year and these celebrations, which to-day are participated in 
by the whole American people, will have lost their force and 
significance unless we are taught the grand lessons of peace 
and reconciliation, of love of country, and of charity to our 
fellow-man. Let us learn to be more tolerant of the views 
and opinions of those who differ from us, and bear in mind 
that no man is perfect. 

But to proceed, wiiile a large majority of the citizens of 
Chatham were zealous for the new government, and gladly 
joined in the cause of liberty and independence, yet there 
were others, and many of them highly respectable citizens, 
who saw no good or sufficient cause to throw off the sove- 



16 

ri'ffi^ity of'Ortnit Britain, ami nn'Iio refused fo join in wfiat 
they considered adreadfnl rebellion, and to-day their d(»sc(Mid- 
ants are among- onr most re|)ntal)le citizens. l',iit during t he- 
war the passions of whi<i;s and torien were so exeiteil that a 
most murderous and destnictive species of waHare was car- 
ried on among neighbors and former friends. Tlie tones were 
led by a man, of whom a sketch will liei-e l>e given, as he is 
so closely iutei-AVoven with the liistoiy of tliose days. 

The most conspicuous character of the Kevolutionarj- days 
was CoL David P^vxNrx(J, whose name is still flimiliar in our 
own time, and about whose bloody deeds and murderous ex- 
ploits our old people still talk witli hoiTor. Tradition has so- 
enveloi>ed him as to make it almost impossil)le to separate 
the tnie from the false. Eev. E. W. Canithei-s, in 1854, pub- 
lished his work entitled '' Tlie Old North State in 1776," in 
which, he devotes much space to the tr<iditions concerning 
Fanning, and notwithstanding- his diligent efforts to an-ive at 
the truth, are found many inaccuracies and mistakes. Fan- 
ning' hiiUvSelf wrote a narrative of his ad\'enturcs, which was 
not i^ublished until the year 18G1, and then only fifty coi)ies, 
and thej^ for private distribution. It is from reading this 
narrative that I am enabled to correct the mistakes of Mr. 
Caruthers and others, lie w;is born in Wake oi' Johnston, 
county, in the year 1754; was bouml as an ai>pren1i('e, but 
owing to hai'sh treatment, r;in away, and engaged in traffic- 
ing with the Indians in South Carolina. Tpon the commence- 
ment ol' hostilities he became a tory and was engaged in many 
adventures in South Carolina until after the fall of Charleston, 
in May, 1780, he came to this county and lived with a noted 
tory, John Rains, on Brush Creek. In a letter to the Uni- 
vei-sity ^lagazine, in March, 1858, Gov. Swain incorrectly 
states that Fanning came to Chatham in 1778. He remained 
([uiet at this place until 1781, when, with a few followers, he 
commenced a predatory warfare on his neighbors, nuiny of 
whom were murdered; and finally, Avhen in the month of 
June a general meeting of the loyalists was called to appoint 
a commanding officer of the militia, he was elected colonel, 
and immediately set off for Wilminji^ou (100 miles distant) 
to receive his commission from Maj. Craigg, the British officer 
comniauding that j)Ost, which commission read as follows: 



17 

'•'By J;i nes Heury Craigg, Esq., Maj. iu liis Majesty's 82d 
Beg., commanding a detachment of the King's troops iu North 
Carolina, &c., &c. 
To David Fanning, Esq. : 

These are to appoint yon to be colonel of the loyal mili- 
tia in Randolph and ("hatham counties, who are directed 
to obey you as such in all lawful commands whatsoever; and 
you are authorized to grant commissions to the necessary per- 
sons of known attachment to his Majesty's person and gov- 
«ernment, to act as captains and subalterns to the different 
companies of militia aforesaid. As colonel, you are hereby 
fully empowered to assemble the militia, and lead them against 
any party of rebels, or others the King's enemies, as often as 
necessary; to compel all persons whatsoever to join you; to 
seize and disarm, and, when necessary, to detain in confine- 
ment all rebels or others acting against his Majesty's govern- 
ment, and to do all other acts l)ecoming a King's otticer and 
good subject. 

Given at Wilmington, this 5th of July, 1781. 

J. H. Craigg, 
Maj., commanding the King's Troops." 

E npowered with tliis authority, he returned from Wil- 
mington on the 12th of July, and ordered a general muster 
lit Cox's Mill, at which place he established his head-quarters. 
Tliis mill is now owned by M. J. Swift, and is situated on the 
western side of Deep Eiver, at the mouth of Mill creek, in 
Bmdolph county, about five miles from the Chatham line. 
He organized his forces and appointed officers, whose names 
would here be given, but the descendants of many of them 
are among our respectable citizens, and might dislike their 
tory ancestors to be named. His first exploit after organizing 
was his descent upon Chatham Court-House, on the 15th of 
July, as Caruthers has it, or on the 18th, as Wheeler states. 
Mr. Caruthers is mistaken iu saying that it was a court of 
pleas and quarter sessions which Fanning there captured, and 
Gov. Swain makes the same mistake in his letter to the Uni- 
versity Magazine. Those courts were held then at the same 
time, as they ever since have been held, until their abolition 
in 1868, i. e., on tlie 2d Mondays in Feb., May, Aug. and 



18 

XovcMiilxM", So that this court was not in session in July. Fan- 
iiiug's narrative states e\'i)li('itly that it was "a geuer.il mus- 
ter, and the day folh)win<4' were to eall a court-martial 
for the trial of several loyalists who had refused to bear 
arms." And Fanning- |)ro('eeds to '^Ive an account of his raid 
(page 23) as follows: "Upon receiving this intelligence,! 
proceeded towards the Court-House, 17 miles, that night w illi 
the men T had named, and the morning following, by seven 
o'clock, 1 arri\'ed there. I surrounded the plr.ce where they 
were. I expected to tind members of tlu' court-martial, but 
they had dispersed the evening before, and were to meet at 
eight o'clock. I then posted pickets on every road, and within 
two hours took 53 prisoners, among them the colonel, major, 
and all the militia officers of the county, except two, who had 
not attended, audals) one continental cai)tain, with three of 
their delegates to the General Assembly. I immediately 
marched then to Cox's Mill, an d paroled all except 14, w hom 
I knew were violent against the goveiar.nent. Those I con- 
ducted to Wilmington, and delivered to Major Craigg." 

Among tliose captured, Mr. (^aruthers states, was John 
Williams, attoruey-at-law^, commonly called London John 
(having come from the city of London), but this is a mistake, 
as our Court records show th.it he was admitted to practice 
law as an attorney at February Term, 1785. He should have 
said James Williams, Esq., who bad been an attorney in the 
county for mmy yeii'S, and w'lio, was i3,irolel after being car- 
ried to Wilmington, as our records farther show, and who, on 
his i-etui-n home, wrote a letter to Gov. Burke in behalf of 
the other prisanewS. (See Caruthers, page 168). UponFan- 
uing's i-eturn from WlUnington occurred his attack upon and 
capture of Col. Philip Alston, and twenty-five men. As Mr. 
Caruthers gives a full account of this fight, (page 180), it is 
here merely mentioned. The house is still standing in a good 
state of preservation, and the holes made by tory bullets are 
still jilainly visible, ft is si^tuated^ on the northern bank of 
Deep Kiver, and known as the ''Chalmers' Place." 

Fanning' s next ej^ploit was the capture of Gov. Burke ;ind 
others at Hillsboro', which, however, belongs to the history of 
Orange county. Fanning, after this, continued his depreda- 
tions, and even after Cornwallis' surrendei-, in Octol)er 1781, 



19 

he still bid bold delid/uce to the ^'rebels," and ruin and death 
marked his footsteps, until June, 1782, he left the county for 
South Carolina, thence going to Florida, and finally to ]Sro\a 
Seotia, where he died in 1825. 

While we condemn the principles of this man and abhor 
his bloody murders, yet we must admire his wonderful bold- 
ness, displayed on the most i)3rilous ocsasions, and his un- 
flinching devotion, even in defeat, to the cause he had 
espoused. Another leading tory was Col. John Pyle, who 
lived on the public road about equi-distant from Pittsboro' 
and Graham, near the present residence of Jesse S. Henley. 
He is first mentioned as a prisoner at the battle of Moore's 
creek, near Wilmington, but will always be known as the 
leader of the tories at "Pyle's hacking match," 25th Feb., 
1781, whom Col. Lee so completely cut to pieces. AVhile no 
important battle was fought in Chatham county, yet the armies 
of L:)rd Cornwallis and Gen. Greene marched through the 
centre, from the northwestern to the southern borders. A 
few days alter the battle of Guilford C. H., on the 15th of 
March, 1781, Cornwallis took up his line of march for Wil- 
mington, and on the night of the 22d encamped on Cane creek 
in Chatham county, at Dixon's mill, which mill is still owned 
by the Dixon family^ and remained two days at this place. 
There are many pleasant local traditions connected with this 
encampment. The chair in which Cornwallis sat while there 
still remains in good preservation, and is now owned by Mr. 
Thomas C. Dixon. Several of these traditions are preserved 
in some jingling verses, written by a son of one of the eye- 
witnesses. Upon leaving Dixon's Mill, the British army 
marched to Chatham Court-House and spent the night, Corn- 
wallis occupying as his head-quarters the house in which Mrs. 
ISTat. Hill now resides; cut in the ' weather- boarding of this 
house are still to be seen the names of many British soldiers. 
Fanning, in his narrative, mentions that he met the army 
at Dixon's Mill, and that he gave Cornwallis information as ^^to 
the situation of the county and disposition of. the people, and 
then returned to Deep Eiver to conduct more men to the pro- 
tection of the British arms, and after two days rejoined the 
army at Chatham C. H." From this place the army marched 
to Ramsey's Mills, known now as Lockville, and encamped in 



20 

Glascock's old \Md, Coniwallis haviii<i' Itis luMd-quai'tors in 
the sjinie buildiu^- now occupied as a hotel. Here they re- 
mained two (.lays engaj;-e<l in buildiii<;- a bridge across Deep 
River. While \wvi' several soldiers were shot by Thomas Kid- 
dle and a lew other (.hiring- wlii<;s concealed on the other 
sid«' of the river. vS<.niie of our oldest citizens remember old 
''Tom Riddle,'' and deliji-ht tt) lell how he shot dow u the lirit- 
ish soldiers, and his narrow escape from capture. Foraj;in<c 
parties were sent out iu the surrounding; country, aud one 
party visited the farm of the tiither of ilr. Benjamiu John- 
son, near Rocky River, who is still livin<;- and distinctly re- 
members seeing; them. He was then alxuit twelve years old, 
so that this old man is now about 10(J years of age'. He is the 
oldest man now living' in Cliatham county, and yet is well 
preserved in body and mind. He was abont thiit>- ye-ars old 
when he marriwl, and his first child was lM)rn iu ISOl. He is 
the last remaining- link connecting; the past with the present, 
the only one of our citii^ens who was living- at our nation's 
birth, and celebi-atcs its centennijil. Who of us will live to 
see the second centennial t 

Cornwallis pnshed forward the building- of the bridg;e at 
Ramsey's Mills as rapidly as ]>ossible, for (len. (ireene was in 
hot pursuit, and had reached Rigden's ford, on Deep River, 
bnt had hesitated to ci'oss, not knowing- whether Cornwallis 
wonld cross Haw River and go down to the east bank of the 
Cape Fear, or cross Deep River and go to the west side. 
The location of Rigden's ford is incorrectly stated by Mr. 
Camthei"s (on psig'e 181^, st^cond seri(»s) as lM»ing- forty miles 
above Ramsey's Mills, but Simms,in his " Life of (xcn. Greene'"' 
(page 205), locates it correctly as being* only twelve miles. 
After diligent incpiiiy and search, I am siitistied the latter is 
correct. At February Court, 1779, is the following entry: 
,, Ordered, that (on complaint of John Wilcox) the dam on 
Deep river is a nuisance by overtlowing his mill and destroy- 
ing the ford at the Gulf contrary to the Act of Assembly, and 
tliat John Montgomery, John Thompson, Samuel Temples, 
Balaam Thompson and Isjiac Brooks, Rail's., enquire into the 
said complaint, and if the\' find the s;iid dam to be a nuisance, 
that they direct Stephen Rigden to remove the same." It is 
well known that John Wilcox had a mill at the Gulf, and this 



21 

dam of Stephen Eigden iniist have been he\i>\< that point a 
short distance, and no doubt it was renioveci iu t>l)edience to 
the above order, for I am informed by Mr. Jordan Tysori, Sr., 
who is now in his eightietli year, and has always lived near 
there, that when a boy he well remembers seeing the remains 
of a dam and a mill about three miles below the Gulf, and 
just above the present Egypt bridge. I have found in our 
Court records repeated mention of the road to Eigden' s, and 
in every instance corresponding to this location. 

Early on the morning of the 23th of March General Greene 
hastened from Eigden' s ford, hoping to overtake the British, 
but was just too late. The army of Cornwullis was the only hos- 
tile army that ever passed through Chatham, but in the late 
civil war the people of Chatham made a much more narrow 
escape than they imagine, for if Gens. Johnston and Sherman 
had delayed their armistice one day, our county would have 
been swarming with hostile trooi^s. In the "Eeport of the 
Secretary of War in 1SG5-1S66," page 1209, Gen. Sherman 
states that Major General O. O. Howard was to turn to the 
left by Hackney's cross roads, Pittsboro, St. Lawrence, and 
Asheboro'; Major Gen. H.W. Slocum to cross Cape Fear river 
at A vent's ferry, &c. Gen. Howard had reached Cary, and 
Gen. Slocum Holly Springs, en route for these points, when 
the truce for ten days was agreed on, followed by the surren- 
der of Johnston's army on the 26th of April. 

The only allusion to Gen. Greene's army which can be found 
among our records is mentioned in the inventory of the estate of 
Peter Dunken ( Duncan? ), ^ 'one ticket for 2 heifers Gen. Greene's 
army took," which ticket it is hoped was finally paid. 

In those days no Superior Courts were held in this county, 
and not until 1800. The Superior Court was held at Hills- 
boro' tAvice a year, and jurors drawn fiom the surrounding 
counties composing that district. Our County Court ordered 
certain jurors from Chatham to attend every Superior Court 
at Hillsboro', and, it seems, paid their expenses, as the rec- 
ords repeatedly mention that such an one be alloAved his ticket 
as juror at Hillsboro'. As a matter of curiosity, I have 
searched up an old bill of costs to show what ^'lawing" cost in 
those days. Eichard Barry vs. Wm. Bynum, May Term, 
1772. Warrant and all services, nearly $20. 



2 lid do., 


- 18 - 


Prnvince Tux, 


- 5 - 


Siibpa'.iui, 


-• 8 - 


Attorney's Fee 


1 5 - 


Sheriff; 


- 8 4 



22 

• Isf Cont in nance, M- 14 - j It iy no u'onder tliat the peo- 

l)le complained so imu-h of 
Court C'hargesand costs, which 
was the main j;ronnd of coin- 
lilaint by I he "Regulators." 
These county courts were es- 
tablislied in 1707, and were 
£3 18 4" abolislied in 18()8. and have 

generally been Icnowu ius the peo[>U'"s courts. The earliest 
lawyers who practiccnl in our courts w ere William Hooper^ 
James Williams, Eiumtield Ridley, .loliu Kinchen, AliVed 
Moore, Kalph AlcXair, Henry (Jitlbrd and others. John Kand 
was the King's Attorney, and at Aug. Term, 1774, "it is or- 
dered tluit Win. Dillard be allowed for making a clerk's table 
and chair for the King's Attorney one ixjund tive shilling;?." 
James Williams was State's Attorney after Independence 
was declai'ed, luitil In? resigned at Feb. Term, 1785. He was 
very prominent during those days, and lived somewhere near 
Haw^ river, and a ford was called by his name. At Feb. 
Term, 1775, is the following entry: "Alfred Moore, Esq., 
came into Court and produced a commission from his Excel- 
lency, the Govenor, empowering him to practice as an attor- 
ney in the several courts in this province, thereupon he took 
the several oaths by law directed, and subscribed tin.' test.''' 
It is to be hoped that some person will at no distant day give 
a sketch of the Bar of Chatham County, and perpetuate its 
traditions. 

In concluding this imperfect slietch of the* e-aiiier tlays of 
our county, I have deemed it not inappropriate to annex a. 
brief statement of the military companies furnished by Chat- 
ham to the Confederate army, giving the number of men en- 
listetl therein, the linrnlKT who died from disease or were 
killed in battle, and the names of theofhcers who commanded 
them, so that this may fitrnish correct information to our fu- 
ture historian. For. though only eleven years have elapsed 
since the close of the war, yet it was only after careful and 
most searching inquiries that the data for this statement have 
been obtained from the sur\dving members of these compa- 
nies. This aUusion to the late war is not made for the pur- 



^23 

pose of awakeniug your passions, or exciting your feelings. 
but merely to gather up materials for the history of our county. 
'The first company organized in this county was tlie ^'Chat- 
ham Eifles," which immediately after tlie fall of Port Sump- 
ter tendered its services, and after drilling some time at Pitts- 
boro' and receiving their uniforms and tents, on the 28th of 
\ May 1861, amid the tears and lingering adieus of the loved 
ones at home, took up tlieir line of march for Raleigh. Tlie 
officers were the following : Eoss E. Ihrie, ciq^tain, and at the 
organization of the regiment elected lieutenant- colonel; John 
Manning, first lieutenant, and at the oigauization of thii regi- 
ment appointed adjutant; Oscar M. Xeal, second lieutenant; 
Wm. L. Loudon, third lieutenant, who was elected first lieu- 
tenant to fill the vacancy occasioned by the promotion of 
hrst Lieut. Manning, and at the reorganization in May, 1802. 
was elected captain, and shortly thereafter assigned as A. A. 
General to Daniel's brigade, and was wounded at Malvern 
Hill, Gettysburg, ;ind Winchestier. Upon the promotion of 
€apt. Ihrie, John W. Taylor w;is elected captain of the com- 
pany. The officers elected or appointed thereafter were as 
follows, viz: Clarence G. Poe, third lieutenant, who died of 
•disease; Leonidas J^"Merritt, first lieutenant, who was killed 
fit Malvern Hill;V)ames T.Rogers, 2d lieutenant, who was 
wounded at Malvern Hill, and disabled from duty; J. Tlnnnas 
Eubanks, third lieutenant, who was killed at Spotsylvania, 
•and W. H. H. Tyson, first lieutenant and afterwards captain- 
The company warS at first Co. "M" of the 15th regiment, but 
in August, 1862, was transferred to the 32d regiment as Co. 
'^I." They num])ered at the outset one hundred and ten 
men, and the total number during the war amounted to 188 
men. A number of the members of this company became 
officers of other companies. The losses of this company were 
two officers killed in battle and one died of disease, and 
twenty-one privates killed and thirteen died of disease, a total 
of thirty-seven. The "Chatham Guards" orgsmized in May, 
1861, were attached to the 26th regiment as Co. "E,'' Their 
officers were Wm. S. Webster, captain, who resigned; W. J. 
Headen. first lieutenant, who was elected to the legislature 
in 1862 and resigned; Bryant Diinlap, second lieutenant; ^. 
W. Brewer, third lieutenant and after^v^rds captain, wounded 



24 

and oaptim'd at fJcttysbm-o-; Oran A.Traimcr, third li«Mitonant, 
wounded and (•ai)tnn'(l at (il('ttysl)iir,u-: \\'. ,J. LandHMt. second 
lieutenant, and K. H. McMauns. lliii-d lieutenant. Total num- 
ber of men I x'lonoino' t() tlie coiupauy altoj-ether dui-in<;- the 
Avar was ahoid 1*04. Losses, one ofiticer killed, twenty-tive men 
killed on the battle Held, ei^ht died of wounds, and thirty- 
four of disease, a total of sixty-eiuht. At the battle of (Jet- 
tysbur.u- this company lost, in killed and wounded, ei;j;hty 
nu'-i out of eighty-three who went into the liuht. The '^Cbat- 
Iiam Boys" was oi-ganized loth of June, bSfJl, and became Co. 
'^G," 2()th regiment. Their officers wei-e W. S. McLean, cap- 
ta'.ii. who resijiiied; John E. Mathews, first lieutenant, who 
died; George E. Underwood, second lietitenant, who resigned 
for disease; H. V. Albright, third lieutenant, afterwards 
elected captain, and killed at Petersburg; John \l. Lane, 
elected ca])tain and i)ronioted to l)e colonel of the regiment, 
and wounded at (Jettysburg; John A. Low, third lieutenant, 
died of wounds received at Bristow Station; A. E. Johnson, 
second lieutenant, and promoted to captain; Wm. G. Lane, 
third lienttMiaiit and promoted to first lientenant; and S. E. 
Teague, third lieutenant. The total number during the war 
was one hui:divd and seventy-tive men. Losses were two 
officers killed and died from wounds, one officer from disease 
and thirty-four men, and twenty-eight men killed and died 
fioni wounds, a total loss of sixty-five. At the battle of (b't- 
tysbui'g they lost fourteen men killed and forty-thiee wounded. 
The officers of Go. "D," 35tli regiment, wei-e Hardy J. Lassi- 
ter, captain, who was killed at Malvern Hill; Kol)ert E. Petty, 
first lieutenant, promoted to be cai)tain, and then ]\Iajor; 
James P. Gibson, second lieutenant, who resigned; C. A. 
Boon, third lieutenant, who resigned; (J. W. Avent, elected 
captain; James A. Lasater, first lieutenant, and died from 
wounds; A. D. Burnett, second lieutenant; and Thaddeus 
Marks, third lieutenant. Their losses were two otticers killed 
and died from wounds, and sixteen privates killed, and twelve 
died from disease, and six from wounds. Total number en- 
listed in the company 143 men. The officers of Co. ''G," 
48th regiment, were W. H. Jones, captain; A. G. Headen, 
first lieutenant, who resigned; J. A. Thompson, second lieu- 
tenant, who was wounded and disabled at Bristow Station; E. 



25 

L. Tysor, Jr., second lieutenant, and ('. C. Clegg, elected 
second lieutenant to fill vacancy. Theii' losses were twenty- 
three killed and twenty-one died of disease. 

The otficers of Co. "E," 44th regiu^ent, were R. (\ Cotten, 
Hr., captain, who was elected lieutenant-colonel of the i"egi- 
nient and resigned; C. M. Stednian, 1st lieuttniant, then cap- 
tain, and major, and wounded at Bristow Station; James 
Philips, second lieutenant and afterwards captain, and died 
of disease; J. J. Crump, second lieutenant, promoted to cap- 
tain, and wounded at Ream's Station; Richard C. Cotten, 
second lieutenant, and resigned; Sidney Tally, second lieuten- 
ant, and Nathan Hilliard, second lieutenant. Total number 
of enlisted men ir)0, of whom forty were killed and died of 
disease. 

Co. "B," 49th regiment, was organized in Ai)ril, 1801*, 
and the officers were: E. H. Ward, captain, who resigned; 
John Bennet, 1st lieutenant, then captain, and died of disease; 
Young A. Oldham, second lieutenant and afterwards captain; 
and \V. p]. Oldham and James H. Horton, elected lieutenants 
to fill vacancies. One officer died of disease and twenty-two 
men, and ten men were killed. Number of men enlisted 
about 7."). In Feb., 1863, this company was transferred to 
the 15th regiment as Co. "D." Co. "D," 61st regiment, was 
organized in Aug., 1862. Its officers were; N. A. Ramsey, 
captain; Wm. S. Ramsey, 1st lieutenant, who was wounded 
at Fort Harrison, losing his left arm; James Ellington, second 
lieutenant, who was killed at Fort Harrison; Richard C. Cot- 
ten, Jr., second lieutenant. This company lost thirty-five 
luen, who were killed or died of disease. 

Co. ''E," 5th N. C. regiment of cavalry, was organized in 
the summei" of 1862, and its officers were as follows, viz: 
Thomas \V. Hairis, captain; John L. Haughton, first lieu- 
tenant, who died of disease; Dewitt C. Harris, second lieuten- 
ant, who died of disease; N. F. Muse, Jr., second lieutenant, 
killed in 18()4; and their vacancies were filled by Atlas P. 
(xilbert, Josiah Tysor and John F. Atwater. This company 
eidisted al>out one hundred and fifteen men; and lost two of- 
ficers, died of disease, and one killed, and ten men killed or 
died of disease. Co. '^'G,'' 5th regiment of cavalry, was or- 
ganized about the same time as Co. E., and had the following 



2() 



uliiiccrs: .loliii r>. .Mc( "Iciialiiiii, captain, w I'.o rcsi^iwd: Win. 
.McClcnaliaii, liist liriitciiant, w lio I'csi^iicd on acctmiit of l»a(l 
lioallli: Saimicl ICUiii.utoii. second licutciiaiil : Cicero lladlex. 
Jr., stM'oiid lieiilenanl. Tlie last company oruani/.ed in Clial- 
liani was Co. ••11." 70tli re<iinient (»!' •'.hinior Reserves'" (as 
the seventeen >ca It >ld hoys were called >. This coni]>any was 
(»r_uani/ed in .May. 1S()4. and nnud»ered S7 l)o\s. witii W. II. 
Carter, captain; C.irson Johnson, tirst lienlenanl: .1. .1. W'al- 
son, seccnid lieutenant: and W. V. Fultdrd, lliii'd lieutenant. 
In addition to tlicse companies. Chat ham liii-nlslied many 
men for companies ori;ani/,ed in other counties. ( 'o. ••I."" (ith 
rejiinuMil. «'nlisted fifty-seven men from Chatham. II. W. York 
beiiiii' captain. ;ii'<l promoted to major, and T. .M . .leid^ins a])- 
pointed second lieutenant. Of these. se\('nleen wei-e killed 
or died of disease. About thirty men enlist"d in a battery of 
artillery, commanded by Ca])t. \. D. .Mooi'e. who became 
colonel of the (Jdth icniment. and was killed neai' Richmond. 
Of these, six were killed and died of disease. TwentN joined 
Ca])t. .Iennin,ii's Co.. in the 11th i-eniment. and ten ( 'o. ••ii." 
2Sth i'ej»inient. About twenty-tive Ciiathani men enlisted in 
Co. "D," 8d cavalry regiment, and of them Thomas !>rooks 
was lirst lieutenant and then ca])tain. and 1). M. White second 
lieutenant. Fifteen men Joined Co. -'I,'" :U\ reiviment of cav- 
alry, and othei's were attached to \arious connnands. which 
cannot now Ix' asi'ertained. Lieutenant Joseph .v. liill was 
attached to the battalion on ^uard at Camp iManiium. and was 
killed at the b;dlle of Kinston. John R. IIauj;hton was in 
the Siii'nal serxice, and died at S.'uithx ille ol (Kse ise. and others 
of Chatham's sons hll uid<nown iii-ax'es. It will thus l)e seen 
thai Chatham i-ounty did Ihm- full dut>. ha\in,u' furnished the 
( "on federate army ne u'h' two t hous ind of her best and bra \ est 
sons, of whom more than four hundred shed their life's blood 
and yielded up their precious lix'es in obedience to their conn 
try's call. Whet her t he cause in which they died was ri^ht 
or wi'oul;'. does not diminisli oui' estimation of their nolde 
deeds of darinji', their unyielding- dex'ot ion to duty, and their 
p.it ient endurance of won in Is and disease. Their cause is losl. 
but let us not lose t he renuMnbrance of their iilorious deeds. 
The\ are dead, but let not t heir \irtues die with t he ii. I'^)!' 
them no jLiratefiil count ry erects the monumental brass and 



stone, with inscriptions of their heroism, but let their monu- 
ment be the lovinj;- liearts of their surviving comrades, and 
on them be forever inscribed tlie memory of their virtues. 
And as their wliiteniuo- bones now lie scattered on evei-y bat- 
tle tield, 

"Ye winds of Heaven, o'er them i^entiy siiih. 
And April showers fall in kindliest rain, 

And let the liolden sunbeams softly lie 

Uj)on the sod for which they died in vain." 

And s[)e iking of the late war, let it eA'er be remembered 
that the colored people, who were then slaves, remained true 
and faithful to their masters, and who. while nearly the entire 
white m lie po})ulation was absent in the army, quietly and 
industriously tilled the soil, and by their labor furnished the 
provisions to feed not only the unprotected women and chil- 
dren at home, but the soldiers in the armies. In th(Mr praise, 
be it ever said that no hand was raised in servile insurrection, 
l)ut many went with their young masters to the "tented field." 
and with them shared a soldier's sufferings. 

And now my task is done, yours not yet begun. 'Sly task 
was to gather up the traditions of the past; yours is to profit 
by them, so that you may be enabled the better to live in the 
future. If you should be aided in doing so by anything 
you may have this day heard, "then is my labor not in rain." 
And now standing to-day upon the threshold of the new cen- 
tury ot our national existence, and looking backward upon 
the old, let us exclaim: 

"Oh! checkered train of years, farewell. 
With all thy sti'ifes and ho}>es and fears; 

But with us let thy memories dwell. 
To warn and lead the coming vears." 



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